Ritz-Carlton Hotel: a luxury that might soon come to Prague
The chain consists of 91 hotels in a total of 30 countries around the world. It is managed by The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company from America, which was founded in 1983 when it was sold by the former owners. At present, it is a subsidiary of Marriott International.
King of hoteliers and hotelier to kings
The name of the hotels is and always will be associated with a man named César Ritz. In the hotel industry, he was called the King of hoteliers and the hotelier to kings. He redefined luxury accommodation in Europe. The flagship Ritz-Carlton hotels were in London and Paris, where the cream of society met in the doors.
Pearls from the expansion of the Ritz-Carlton chain
In 1905, César Ritz and executive chef August Escoffier opened a restaurant onboard a ship on the Hamburg-America Line, known as the Ritz-Carlton. It ceased operations with the start of World War I in 1914.
In 1911, the first hotel under this name was opened in New York, USA, thanks to a franchise created by Albert Keller. This was followed by further expansion across the American continent. However, Ritz passed away in 1918 and his wife Maria continued to pursue to hotelier tradition. By the early 1920s, there were already 15 hotels around the world!
New boss, new motto
Ritz-Carlton is now controlled by president and COO Horst Schulze, who created a new motto that honours not only the select society that visits the hotel, but also its employees. Everybody wants to work at a hotel with this motto. Judge for yourself. You motto is:
“We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.”
Since 1998, Marriott International owns 99% of Ritz-Carlton. In 2001, it joined forces with another giant, the Bulgari brand, which manages the Bulgari resorts.
Largest hotel in the world and a golden palace
Yes, Ritz-Carlton hotels can boast these attributes. The largest hotel was opened in 2011 in Hong Kong. The Ritz-Carlton designed in 2015 as a palace of gold is a luxurious landmark in the equally luxurious Macau.
There is no doubt that the wealthiest, most prominent, most influential and most famous people from around the world choose this hotel chain. Likewise, it probably comes as no surprise that Ritz-Carlton hotels appear in novels, songs and films. Francis Scott Fitzgerald wrote a novel title The Diamond as Big as the Ritz (1922), and in the film American Wedding (2003), the ceremony takes place at the Ritz in California.
In conclusion, it will be an immense honour for Prague if a Ritz-Carlton is built in the capital city. According to the latest information, its doors could be opened to the public towards the end of 2022 near Old Town Square.
